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Frequently Asked Questions

What will be done with the brief descriptions?

Some committee members will read the brief descriptions.

One should expect that the brief descriptions will be read by more reviewers than the full extended abstracts.

Brief descriptions will be sent to sub-referees, and will be used to help assign sub-referees.


How should a brief description differ from the introduction to a paper?

First of all, the brief description should be self-contained, so that a committee member or sub-reviewer can get some understanding of the paper from reading the brief description alone.

In many cases, the brief description will contain a simplified statement of the main result and an outline of the proof (stressing the main ideas). The existence of the extended abstract frees up the authors to write these 2 pages informally, sketching their mental picture of the result.  The brief description is not expected to meet the standards of an academic publication.

For an example of how informality can be useful, consider lecture notes.  Or, read Umesh Vazirani's explanation of the benefits of one brief description.


Is the brief description really due the week after the extended abstract?

Yes.

Why?

To give authors time to reflect and relax after writing their extended abstract.  And to decrease the burden.

Can I include a title page with the list of authors and abstract, and not count it towards the 10 page limit?

Yes.  Traditionally a title page does not count against the 10-page limit in FOCS submissions.



How should I indicate that my paper is eligible for the Machtey award?

If the authors of your paper are all students at the time of submission, it is eligible for the Machtey award.  Please inform the program chair by email to spielman@cs.yale.edu.